On Independence Day, Sunita Kejriwal, the wife of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, claimed that the National Flag was not hoisted at their residence in the national capital. Her statement came amid her husband’s imprisonment at Tihar Jail related to a money-laundering case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following the Supreme Court’s denial of his bail plea.
Sunita Kejriwal took to social media to express her discontent, sharing a post from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi. In her post, she lamented, “Today, the National Flag was not hoisted at the CM’s residence. It is very sad. This dictatorship can keep an elected Chief Minister in jail, but how can it contain the patriotism of the heart…”
Earlier, Atishi had posted an old photograph of Arvind Kejriwal unfurling the Tricolour and criticized the current political climate, saying, “Dictatorship in 1947 saw many freedom fighters face brutality and imprisonment to secure our freedom. They would never have imagined that in independent India, an elected Chief Minister could be falsely accused and jailed for months. This Independence Day, let us pledge to continue fighting against dictatorship.”
A dispute also arose between the AAP and Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena regarding who would hoist the national flag in Kejriwal’s absence. Kejriwal had designated Atishi to perform the flag-hoisting at Chhatrasal Stadium on August 15. GAD Minister Gopal Rai had directed the department to facilitate this arrangement.
However, the General Administration Department (GAD) responded by stating that the chief minister’s directive was “legally invalid” since it was issued from prison. Additional Chief Secretary Navin Kumar Chaudhary noted that any communication from Kejriwal while incarcerated did not comply with legal standards and thus could not be acted upon.
The department indicated that it was making arrangements for the Independence Day function at Chhatrasal Stadium according to established practices, with the final decision pending higher authorities’ review.